International Law

Catalog description

This course introduces students to the basic subjects, processes, and problems of contemporary public international law. We begin by exploring the sources of public international law; the traditional role of states in international law formation; and the growing role of international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and subnational municipalities in transnational legal processes. Our attention then turns to the relationship between international law and U.S. law, including the principles that govern (and impede) the application of international law in U.S. courts. Rather than attempt to canvass the myriad subfields that comprise contemporary public international law, we devote sustained attention to a selection from among the following subjects: principles of jurisdiction, international regulatory regimes and globalization, state claims to natural resources, the law of war, and international human rights. With this foundation in place, the course concludes with an invitation to grapple with several perennial critiques of the international legal system.